#imperial crossahair

[aj-allen97]

The Bad Batch Episode Three: Replacement (how true that episode title card is)

Spoilers!

I find episode three heartbreaking for Crosshair.

Even with the inhibitor chip forcing him to comply he still has his memories...how painful it must be to be stuck in ones head and unable to stop ones action, to be surrounded by memories of happier days with your brothers...to be basically surrounded by ghosts.

Those four new recruits are basically replacing the brothers he lost, but they aren’t them - they are just the what if dreams of the rest of the Bad Batch if their inhibitors had worked. A cruel reminder that they are gone, and he was left behind to the Empires mercy, that they are free while he is enslaved to a Empire that views him obsolete and nothing more then a weapon.

Not only is he surrounded by ghosts and what if’s but to have that one Solider refuse Imperial orders?For the others to hesitate on the idea of civilian causalities no matter the order? How much do you guys wanna bet Crosshair was reminded of Hunter and his brothers? How much do you guys wanna bet Crosshair wasn’t seeing Ass Hole Blondie when he shot him down? I think he saw Hunter, I think he didn’t see the rest of the non-clone humans - I think he was seeing his brothers folding into line like good Soldier’s- choosing him and staying as he repeated the “Good Soldier’s Follow Orders” mantra.

And then for Crosshairs to be roomed in his and his batch mates old room must be heartbreaking to him, even with the room empty of their stuff it’s still holds the memories on the wall. Their successful battle count by the door, their attempt at personalizing their bunk space, the Empire didn’t even bother painting over the memories - keeping them there to remind Crosshair of memories of yesteryear, of the brothers that left him behind. To see these other people claim the space that was once his brothers? Sooner or later these people will wash the memories off the wall, replacing them with their own marks while Crosshair space will remain forever void of personality because that goes against the inhibitor.

How much do you guys wanna bet that he is hurting on the inside but unable to express his conflict, his guilt, his pain? Forever forced to to remain a neutral and loyal to the empire being - even when inside he’s probably screaming? To watch these new recruits bond and create a safe space in the room that was once his and his brothers safe space? To know that these strangers are not his brothers, that they view him as lesser then them, a outsider to a imperial family that will never be his while his true family is out in the galaxy somewhere free.

To live with the idea that his brothers chose Omega over him, that he was abandon and discarded in favor of the female clone - not knowing how much they all miss him and want him back? How even with Omega among them his things - his bunk on the ship is empty and waiting for him? (After all there was five of them before Omega - and now five after Omega but all of a sudden there’s not enough room for five people? Yeah no - that’s Crossahairs space and there is no doubt in their mind that he will come home even if their not voicing it).

If the Bad Batch do succeed in rescuing Crosshair he won’t be the same brother. He’s gonna be filled with grief, resentment, abandonment, and whole lot of stuff we dont have time to unpack right now. And it will be a long journey to heal past wounds and trauma.